Liber Studiorum: Parts 5–10 c.1806–11

The twenty-seven works included in this section are finished designs, mostly in watercolour, for twenty-six of the thirty engravings issued in the six parts of the Liber Studiorum published between early 1811 and mid 1812, part 10 marking the half-way point of Turner’s intended scheme of a hundred plates (see also general Liber introduction). The Frontispiece plate was issued free to subscribers with part 10, but in the present catalogue its definitive design (an etched outline with watercolour washes: Tate D08150; Vaughan Bequest CXVII V) is dealt with at the beginning of the section for parts 1 to 4, following the precedent of the standard Liber literature.

There are no recorded Liber-type drawings for four of the designs (nos.35, 40, 44 and 50), and that for Windmill and Lock (no.27) is in watercolour over an impression of Turner’s outline etching, no freehand equivalent being known. Bridge and Goats (no.43) is represented in the Bequest by both an original watercolour design and a washed etching. All the known finished designs for these parts remained in the artist’s possession and were included in the Turner Bequest, except no.27, presented by later by W.G. Rawlinson, and nos.36 and 46, bequeathed by Henry Vaughan.

There had been a gap of nearly two years since the appearance of part 4, the last of three to be published by Charles Turner, who had also engraved all the plates up to that point. With part 5, Turner reverted to acting as his own publisher for the rest of the series (see subsequent sections of the catalogue), but there would be a further hiatus of nearly four years before the simultaneous appearance of parts 11 and 12.

Checklist:

The following checklist is in the standard Rawlinson/Finberg order1 (for the full series, see the general Liber Studiorum introduction). The compositions are listed with Turner’s published titles exactly as lettered and punctuated or, when published untitled, with customary titles in inverted commas, and with Turner’s categories such as ‘Pastoral’. Tate accession numbers and Turner Bequest numbers are given for the original drawings – or etchings with wash – acquired in the Turner and Vaughan Bequests or otherwise, which have individual catalogue entries. Impressions of the related etchings and engravings at Tate are noted, as are Turner’s late paintings inspired by the series, and later versions of the prints by Frank Short and others. The designs for which no drawings are known are also briefly discussed.

W[illiam] G[eorge] Rawlinson, Turner’s Liber Studiorum, A Description and a Catalogue. Second Edition, Revised Throughout, London 1906; Alexander J. Finberg, The History of Turner’s Liber Studiorum with a New Catalogue Raisonné, London 1924.